July 30, Washington, DC: The United States Ambassador to Sri Lanka Michele Sison says, if confirmed as the Deputy Representative of the United States to the United Nations, she will work towards advancing America's interests at the UN.

"If confirmed, I will actively pursue our shared priority of ensuring that American taxpayer resources are used effectively to advance U.S. goals and objectives," at the UN, Sison told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee nomination hearing Tuesday.

Ambassador Sison is President Obama's nominee for Deputy Representative of the United States to the United Nations, with the rank of Ambassador, and Deputy Representative of the United States in the Security Council of the United Nations.

Describing her experience serving as U.S. Ambassador in the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, and Sri Lanka & Maldives, Sison said the UN, for all its shortcomings, has the ability to complement and amplify U.S. efforts to achieve a number of its foreign policy goals, including to prevent and end armed conflicts, ensure accountability, and build the conditions for a lasting peace.

Emphasizing that she has worked closely with the UN throughout her career to promote accountability and respect for human rights, as well as to address the issue of sexual or gender-based violence in conflict, Sison said there can be no sustainable peace without justice and the rule of law.

She noted that although no country can lead as effectively as the U.S. it is not America's job to solve every crisis around the world and the UN is an important forum for sharing that burden internationally.

"If confirmed, I will seek to expand the number of capable and willing partners working with us at the UN on each of the issues I've mentioned, and will seek to unite them in common cause in tackling our many common challenges."

Ambassador Sison pledged "to work to ensure UN fiscal discipline, transparency, ethics, oversight, and reform. I will also continue this Administrationís firm commitment to fight any unfair bias against Israel at the UN."